Vibration welding is a technique in which vibration energy is applied in a particular frequency range to a clamped work piece. The frequency range is typically ultrasonic. Surface friction between vibrating adjacent surfaces of the clamped work piece generates heat, which ultimately softens and bonds the adjacent surfaces of the work piece.
In a vibration welding system, a weld horn or sonotrode is directly connected to one or more welding pads. The welding pad(s) may have a knurled surface that physically contacts the work pieces as they are being welded. The work pieces are supported by a stationary welding anvil.
Vibration welding has utility in industry, for example in the joining of various components during the manufacturing of structures and devices, such as, but not limited to, automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, containment vessels, electronic devices, and the like. Vibration welding is a well-controlled process, using properly functioning welding equipment, which typically produces welds having a highly consistent and repeatable weld quality. However, while various approaches exist for ensuring control of a vibration welding process, such approaches may be less than optimal for the purposes of ongoing monitoring of a maintenance status or other status conditions of the vibration welding equipment.